by Lisa Sanders
First published 2009
Dr. Lisa Sanders takes readers inside the diagnostic process that defines modern medicine. A Yale physician who writes the "Diagnosis" column for the New York Times Magazine, Sanders examines real cases where doctors must play detective to save lives. She follows a healthy young man who suddenly cannot form new memories, two Lyme disease patients whose symptoms return after treatment, and a dying woman whose bleeding and confusion baffle her medical team. Sanders shows how doctors combine knowledge with intuition to reach correct diagnoses. Despite advanced tools and unprecedented medical knowledge, physicians still make mistakes and miss crucial clues. Sanders explores the challenges doctors face when gathering patient histories, conducting physical exams, communicating with colleagues, interpreting tests, and avoiding diagnostic errors. Through these medical detective stories, she reveals both the science and art of diagnosis, demonstrating how getting the right answer often means the difference between life and death.
Genres: biography, medical, non-fiction, academic
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: medical-mystery
304 pages · Hardcover · Harmony